Swarming of the RATS!

[pigeonguy]

Poison and traps! Makes for some good target practice with a 22 too~! I have a friend that got something for our raccoon problem that drops them right after they eat it. I don't know what it was but made it safer for other animals that might eat the poisoned raccoon. He would just go out scoop them up and bury them. Where is Wayne county? Give me a town name!

Wish you would get that recipe and post it and pm me so i don't miss it.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: The only thing likely to do that is Golden Malrin, and it's HIGHLY TOXIC to anything that eats it

 

[RustysProvider]

They are done eating holes in the bags that's for sure. We put our fed in a container now. The bucket did not work but I didn't completely dedicate an do it as instructed. Now the only thing is to get them out of the hen house. We are actually putting up a new one . We use the big traps rat traps they work. No poison yet and we are dwindling their numbers as we speak.

 

[pawprint2104]

They are done eating holes in the bags that's for sure. We put our fed in a container now. The bucket did not work but I didn't completely dedicate an do it as instructed. Now the only thing is to get them out of the hen house. We are actually putting up a new one . We use the big traps rat traps they work. No poison yet and we are dwindling their numbers as we speak.

Rats are very smart and tenacious. Getting your feed into tough containers is always the best start. And, I'm ecstatic you elected to not use the poison. Traps are the most humane. I hate the bucket idea, but it's better than the poison. Without going into a long diatribe about the use of poison...it is a death sentence for your good predators (owls, foxes, etc) They'll dine on the dead or dying poisoned rat and suffer the same inhumane death. Don't take my word for it, call your local wildlife rehab specialist and ask their opinion about using poison. Also, poison is non-specific and will kill anything that eat's it.

Rats basically need food, water and shelter. If you remove any or all of these elements their population will diminish. It's fact of wildlife management. You decreased their food source by using the containers, which is an excellent start. I'm glad your traps are working, too.

I know your pain. I battle a small population myself. I just found out they're grazing on the spilled pellet from my feeder, so I had to put a few traps in strategic places. I'm still trying to resolve the spilled pellet issue to reduce their feeding opportunity.

 

[TXchickmum]

We had a brief issue with rats last spring (when we first began keeping chickens). -had been leaving food in the coops. We began bringing the food in, storing the feed bag in a metal can, and set some traps. -caught two, and haven't had any more issues. Now, we keep the food in a hanging feeder, suspended over a tray (with sides) that the DH constructed! The crumbles that spill out of the feeder fall onto the tray and are either picked off by the chickens or recycled. -no more spilled feed!